


Timeline

by IceStrawberryFreeze



Category: Red Dead Redemption (Video Games)
Genre: F/M, Female Friendship, Female Reader, Horses, John and Reader for a little bit, Maybe some Bill/Reader, Multi, One Sided Micah, Original Character(s), Strong Female Characters, will add characters as written
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-04
Updated: 2019-03-02
Packaged: 2019-10-22 11:12:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 11,127
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17661470
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IceStrawberryFreeze/pseuds/IceStrawberryFreeze
Summary: Thrown back over a century in time, in a video game, [F/Name] and her friends must ride along a fictional gang made real. And find out how this predicament came to be.





	1. A Storm Brings The Light

**Author's Note:**

> Posting from Tumblr blog.

"This way!"

Dutch, Arthur, and Lenny rode their horses down the hillside as dark clouds began to spread across the sky. Thunder, louder than they have ever heard before, shook the ground they were galloping on.

Lenny reached down, patting his mare - Maggie's - neck, whispering to her softly to calm her. 

Lighting had stuck close to the camp earlier.

A few times, actually. In a span of seconds. It caused panic to buzz around the camp. 

As one large, blue lightning struck the ground further down the trail to Valentine, Dutch knew that something had to be checked out. 

Lightning struck the ground just below the hill they were heading for. The three outlaws pulled back on the reins, their mounts trotting - more flashy than normal due to the storm - to the top of the hill. 

Arthur made it to the top first, eyes scanning the forest line. "Ain't it something that there aren't any fires anywhere started 'round here?" 

Lenny and Dutch came up on either side of him, both men surveying the area as well. 

"Not a damn scorch mark or anything like that," Lenny confirmed. He looked up to the sky. "Not even a breeze." 

Arthur followed Lenny's gaze, now noticing how still the world was at the moment. "You right. Something seems mighty ominous 'bout this."

Dutch pushed the brim of his hat up, eyes narrowed as he double checked the area. He had to make sure his gang was safe. Nothing should be getting in the way of his plans or family. It was then that he noticed two figures lying in the middle of a few bucks. 

Raising a hand to gain the two' s attention, he pointed with the same hand. 

"Down there, boys. Let's ride." He reined in The Count, facing them one time before galloping down. "Be. On. Guard."

The trio started to canter the down the hill which gained the bucks attention. Two of the bucks had straps of large bags in their mouths, dropping them as the group grew closer. 

They bounded away, all save for one who stood its ground, head low to what they now saw as two females scantily clothed. 

It didn't move, even when the trio got nearly close enough to touch. It only lifted its head up a few inches, swinging its head back in forth in a figure eight motion. 

"That's one brave animal," Arthur scoffed. "Showing off them antlers." He looks down at the two girls, seeing their chest rise and fall gently. 

"Or maybe it's protecting them girls," he grumbled. 

He and Lenny shared a look, the latter nudging his mare forward. Only then did the buck take off in the trees. 

He turned to look back at the older men. "Well, would ya l-" 

A loud scream - like nails dragging against a chalkboard - made the three man jump in their saddles, their heads whipping back and forth as they drew their guns. 

Dutch circled his horse around multiple times, eyes scanning like the devil was after him. 

"Hey, guys." The other two turned to Arthur who was staring down at the girls. He gestured with his chin to a small, rectangular machine on the ground next to one of the female's hands. 

"I think I found where that noise is coming from."

°°°°°°

Headaches were never this intense before in your twenty-two years of life. It felt as if lightning had struck the top of your dime not once. Not twice. But three times in a row.

If you could strangle your headache in order for it to stop, you would. But that might be counterintuitive. 

Throwing that thought aside, you focused at the moment at hand. Instead of feeling the soft blanket of your bed, your hands were feeling grass and dirt.

Your eyelids were heavy, so you took the time to feel around until you could open them. 

Clearly, you weren't inside your home. The night before, you and your college mates were playing a variety of online games. Eventually, because you finally got an Xbox that Friday and stayed up all night to cry over Arthur's death by that Monday(because what's sleep?), you all hopped on to Red Dead Online.

Yes. Every single person bought their own console and television to play it.

'Cause they are that serious. And they knew you were going to play it eventually.

The last thing you remember was that you and Tatiana fell asleep in your room, the others still downstairs playing online. 

Soft chewing - almost like someone grinding lettuce - sounded close to your right ear, along with the feeling of your bare arms being rubbed up by...bone?

After a soft poke to your cheek by something sharp, you concluded that it could be a deer. So a forest, then. You were in a freaking forest.

The ground trembled, the sound of galloping horses racing towards you. Welp. Looks like you'll be dying my hooves today. You tried to open your eyes once more - getting them open by a centimeter - but ultimately failed.

The sound of bags hitting the ground jolted you. You heard a small groan to your right, a hand wrapping itself loosely on your wrist.

Tatiana? 

"That's one brave animal," someone said. A gruff voice. It sounded really familiar. 

Once again, you felt antlers rub against your face.

You blanked out from the situation at hand, trying to figure out how you knew that voice. It was on the tip of your tongue. It was a voice you literally heard not too long ago.

Maybe...

The beginning to the song "Game Over" made you shoot up, eyes wide as it continued to blare. You didn't even bother to look around you.

Your hand went straight for your phone - it laying on your right side - and your finger smashing the screen repeatedly. 

"Shut the fuck up. Shut the fuck up. Shut. The. Fuck. Up," you screamed at it. You didn't get to enjoy the alarm finally quieting as your cheek was punched. 

Your eyes widened. Turning to your right, you glared at Tatiana. The russet-brown young woman - with black braids that hung to her waist - stared back at you with equally wide eyes. 

"Oh shit. I'm s-" 

Without hesitation, you punched her back. It didn't take long before you both were on the ground wrestling one another. 

She bit your forearm when you had her pinned under you. "Fuck you, bitch!" You flicked her nose aggressively. 

"You punched me, you damn asshole!" 

She pushed you off which resulted with you on your back, throwing herself on your stomach, and splaying her limbs over your body. "Die, hoe." 

And just how fast it started, it ended. You let your body go limp, feeling her do the same. 

"I wish I could, hun." You sighed, recollection yourself. You closed your eyes for a few seconds, opening them again to take notice of dark clouds above. Beginning to close your eyes once more, you let your thoughts bumble around until-

"Y'all okay?" A very, very, very familiar voice asked. Tatiana pushed herself up as she looked to her right, her body immediately tensing. 

You heard her say mumble under her breath, shaking her head. 

You propped yourself up on your elbows, staring past your friend to see three men ontop of horses. Your eyes wandered over the three men before they rested on Tatiana. "Are we being pranked?" She whispered. 

Pushing her off of you, with her landing on her back and staying there, you got into a more upright position. Yeah.

Your eyes were definitely not playing tricks on you. In front of you were very realistic cosplays of the Van Der Linde Gang. At least... 

You thought they were cosplayers. 

"Maybe?" You questioned with a shrug of your shoulders. Your eyes scanned the three in front of you, lingering on 'Arthur'. "That's a damn good Arthur cosplay if ever."

Tatiana gave you a withering glance. "I don't think we're in Kansas anymore."

"We aren't from Kansas."

"You know what I mean," she hissed, pushing her braids behind her shoulders. 

With a roll of your eyes, you turned back to the trio. They were giving you two curious gazes as much as you were giving them' What The Fuck' glances. As gazes continued to pass between the five of you, you began to realize that just maybe they were the real deal. 

The aura they were giving off was something not many can give off. Especially from the Dutch lookalike; his dark eyes were staring straight into your soul, causing a shiver to run down your spine. 

Said man raised his chin. "I asked if y'all were alright?" 

You looked over your body: in the clothes you wore last night consisting of a purple tank top and light blue plaid pants, you found no real harm done to your body. 

"I assume so," you answered, looking back up at him. From the corner of your eye, Tatiana nodded. A bit too quickly. Two intimidating men - and a Lenny - would make anyone shit their pants. That or she was fangirling. 

Knowing her, it was maybe her fangirling. 

He nodded, gesturing a hand to the next to him. Lenny and Arthur pulled their horses up to your sides- Lenny on Tatiana's side and Arthur on yours. 

"I am Dutch Van Der Linde." He gestured to himself in a flair and you knew. 

Oh yes. You knew. Tatiana's little yelp told you she knew too. 

Y'all might be fucked. 

" And these are two of my best men. Arthur Morgan is the man on the lovely brown paint; Lenny is the one on the lovely dappled, grey-palomino Mustang." Both men nodded their heads as they were introduced, Arthur locked eyes with you, tipping his head downward so his hat hid his face. 

"We might be bad men," Dutch continued, "but we are gentleman. And we will not allow two women to wander these wilderness alone. Go ahead and grab your bags. We'll take you back to our camp."

"Bags?" You and Tatiana chorused. Looking behind you, you did indeed have your duffle bag. 

You crawled over to it, quickly opening it to find it filled with multiple items: clothing, toiletries, your English riding boots, phone charger, tablet with its charger, your wallet, and a multitude of snacks. 

You don't remember ever packing a bag like this. Turning to Tatiana - who mouthed what the fuck to you - she damn didn't either. Quickly, you pulled out a pair of sneakers on the side of the bag and put them on. Tatiana pulled on some slippers - you finally noticing her attire of booty shorts and a long sleeve crop top. God. They must think you were a couple of whores.

Both of you shared a glance before turning to the men on your side. Arthur held his hand out, still keeping his face hidden, pointing to your duffel. 

You handed him your bag, watching as he hooked it to the side of his saddle before he turned back to you. He patted the cantle. "Hop on and let's get going."

Were you really going to hop onto the back of this horse of a notorious gang member, and ride back to their camp? 

Before your thoughts could become even more jumbled then they already were, you hurried into the saddle. 

Just as you wrapped your arms around Arthur's waist did he kick his horse into a gallop. Your hair whipped around, causing you to fuck your head behind the out law's back. 

God, he was warm. 

You snuck a glance behind you. Dutch was galloping on your immediate right, his horse's mouth open as it pushed forward. Lenny and Tatiana were just behind him. 

She was holding onto that man for dear life. 

"Don't look back fo' to long or you might jus' end up back there," Arthur yelled back. You looked up just in time to see his head turn forward. 

With a puff of your cheeks, and with a little bravery, you asked if that was a threat. You felt tension roll of your shoulders when his only response was a shake of his head. 

Seriously. What the hell have you gotten into?


	2. Horseshoe Overlook

"These two young women will be staying with us for the time being."

There you two stood, bags on your shoulder in the middle of the Horseshoe Overlook hideout. Tatiana held onto your arm, her eyes darting across the camp.

Dutch stood just in front of you, talking to the members of those in camp. Eyes scanning, you noticed that a few major characters were not to be found. You did notice Miss Grimshaw, the woman staring at her past lover in dismay. 

Not to be surprised at her action, you were outsiders after all. And ones welcomed into the group so easily by the head hancho himself.

Looking to your left, Arthur stood at your side. He had his chin to his chest, his aqua-green eyes staring at the ground intensely. His thumbs were hooked in his belt loops, legs out his typical wide stance. 

God, he was such a ~~daddy~~ cowboy. 

Your eyes widened as you were pushed forward. Dutch clasped onto your shoulder, looking between you and Tatiana in turn. 

"I hope you treat them both like they're a part of family." He laughed, shaking your shoulders as he did so. 

No one spoke up, their eyes traveling between the two of you. Dutch squeezed your shoulder in response to that. 

"Do I make myself clear?"

The blonde, outlaw loving woman known as Karen pushed back through the small prong of watchers. She placed her hands on her hips, eyes inviting and lips turned up in a smile. "You damn sure did, Dutch!" 

She practically bounced over to where you stood, holding her hand out to you. "Name's Karen Jones. Nice to meet ya." 

Her friendliness was a warm welcome next to the wavering glares. You placed your hands in hers with a small smile on your face. 

"Pleasure is all mines. I'm [F/Name] [L/Name]." 

She nodded, her ringlets bouncing with the movement. She turned to Tatiana who smiled just as large as the female outlaw. "Tatiana Wilkinson."

Karen clapped her hands together, looking behind her to wave forward Mary-Beth and Tilly, both wearing equally excited grins. She looped her arms through the two other females, turning back to Dutch. 

"We three will make sure they feel right at home."

You looked back over your shoulder to Dutch, his tension melting off his shoulders as he regarded the girls. He patted yours and Tatiana's shoulders before backing away. "You two will be in good hands. 

Tilly left Karen's side, taking your hand excitedly." Come on, hun. We'll show y'all 'round camp." 

Mary-Beth grabbed onto Tatiana's arm, the two female' s pulling you behind an already walking Karen. 

Looking over the four females next to you, you just noticed...

That you were the shortest.

°°°°°

Looking at your phone, you saw that it's been about two hours since you had arrived at the hideout. It being only noon, you still had a large day ahead of you. 

Karen, Tilly, and Mary-Beth led you both around the camp, introducing everyone that was currently there. You had met Abigail, the woman a bit apprehensive. Considering your modern looking clothing, you couldn't blame her. 

It was only when Jack, the sweet thing, clung to your legs that she became friendlier. 

Pearson was cooking stew when you visited him, a top hat on his head. He looked up from stirring his pot, tipping his hat upward. 

"Now who do we have here? More beautiful women to add to our lovely camp?" He chuckled, moving around the pot while wiping his hands on his pants. 

He stopped in front of your small group, eyeing you and Tatiana. "That's so mighty fine clothing you both are wearing but." He raised his hands up in a sign of defeat. "We all wear what makes us comfortable."

"You are the most jolly of men," you blurted out, earning a laugh from the group. 

Karen threw an arm over your shoulder. "He's probably the nicest in this whole place." She tapped her chin with a finger. "Well, next to Hosea that is."

After Pearson, you met Grimshaw. She was...welcoming in her own way. She walked away saying she'll have to talk to Dutch when he gets back. 

You bypassed Leopold Strauss, the man simply waving his hand in greeting. Meeting the others went by so fast. 

Neither you or Tatiana could contain your laughter as Karen kicked Uncle, rousing him from sleep. The older man was laying down with a bottle in hand. What else would he be doing? They bantered back and forth for a bit until another figure approached. 

Charles Smith. Your neck began to hurt as you stared up at him. This man was a tower of pure imtimidation and muscle. Your fingers itched to run through his hair but keeping your life in tack was more important. 

You'll try later. 

He folded his arms across his chest, staring down as you stared up. His dark eyes did a quick once over before they moved over to yourr current second in command. 

"Charles." Quick. Sweet. Simple. 

"[F/Name]," you said with a nod. Tatiana did the same. 

He looked to the older women. "Making them feel comfortable?" 

Karen scoffed, walking up to the Native American with her hands on hips. "When do we not make visitors feel welcome?" 

Charles lips quirked up into a small grin before walking off back to Javier, the man tuning his guitar. 

You covered your mouth - the others doing the same- as Karen pouted, stating "The gall of that man."

Tilly took the lead, walking you all up to the the table that Charles just sat at. She pat Javier on the shoulder, the musician turning around with a smile. " This here is Javier Escuella. He loves to sing and play his guitar for us."

"And I also love to make new friends," he said while standing up. He shook Tatiana's hand, poor girl already swooning. "It's nice to meet ya."

You ignored his outstretched hand, moving both of your hands to the strap of your duffel. Even though it doesn't happen for years from now, the things that future Javier says to John... 

Shaking your head, you did give him a small smile in order to break the akward tension. He tipped his hat, seeming to take no offense. 

It wasn't long before the three women left you and Tatiana to yourselves. 

You and her sat on one of the tables in camp, close to the cliff edge, placing your duffel in the ground below. You let your eyes wander around the area, watching as everyone mingled and did their chores. You took a deep breath-

-And screamed into your hands. Tatiana wrapped her arms around you, her hyperventilating. You both began talking over each other. The first time you could actually talk to each other since being bombarded with shit. 

"What the fuck?!" she growled, holding you tighter. 

"How did we end up here?" You shrieked shaking your head. 

"Fuck this all to hell. We're in our own personal fanfiction," Tatiana wailed, throwing her head back as she did so. You stopped your mental degradation to pull her face to yours. 

You poked her cheek with every word. "We will be alright." You wiggled your finger deeper in her cheek. "We just need a plan." 

Tatiana burst out laughing smacking your hands away. "Oh, fuck off. But that did calm my nerves." 

Placing your legs underneath you, you took another deep breath. You turned back to your friend. "Alright. Let's go over what just happened in the last few hours."

"We both woke up to see Dutch Van Der Linde himself standing before us," Tatiana stated, holding up one finger. "Along with him was Arthur and Lenny. Three daddies at once.

You nodded - ignoring her calling the three men daddies--leaning back on your hands. "Surprisingly enough, he easily welcomed us into his gang. Well, actually not too surprising. He has done so to many others in the past." Your eyes followed Javier going across the camp to Pearson. "And from where we're at, we're in early stages of the game."

Tatiana sighed. "The second we got here, we've been dragged around by Karen and them." 

The females ran by just as she said that, chasing little Jack around. Karen grabbed him under his arms swinging the boy around as he squealed. 

You leaned forward, elbows on your knees and face cupped in your palms." Real question is...how we even get here? A storm?" You glanced at the woman next to you. "I mean, there were dark storm clouds when I woke up. And looking up, now they're gone."

"Another real question here is, did anyone else come here?" Tatiana asked, her eyebrows furrowed. "Hell, we could just both be hallucinating from playing Red Dead for hours on in. Having the same dream."

You both were quiet for a moment until you turned to her. "Should we jump off this cliff to see?" 

"Fuck no."

You began to open your mouth only to be cut off by your cellphone ringing. Without another thought on it, you picked it up and glanced at the name on the screen: Patty. 

"Yel-" 

You pulled the phone away from your ear, holding it out as Patty began to do a mixture of shrieking, laughter, and crying. Pressing the speaker button, the damn girl began to scream incoherent sentences. Some of the gang members turned your way, forcing you to take her off speaker for a few seconds. 

"Um...[F/Name]," Tatiana whispered. "H-" 

Patty screamed your name at that moment, making you focus on her. "I am in the world of Red Dead!" 

You covered the talk piece. "Patty is here as well," you told Tatiana. She only stared at you blankly before pointing to your phone. 

You stared down at the device. One blink. Two blinks. You removed your hand, bringing it close to your mouth. "Bitch. We're in the nineteenth century. Smart phones and wifi aren't even invented yet."


	3. Settle in Camp

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love John so much, but I also fear that man.

You pulled Tatiana over to your right, putting as much distance as you could between you and JOHN Martson. Of course that didn't go unnoticed by him, his dark eyes trained on you that second. Pressing yourself closer to Patty, you made yourself seem as small and unnoticeable as possible. Great for your right, as Tatiana was taller than you and Patty both. Not so good on your left as Arthur gave you a weirded out side glance. 

Damn Patty for being shorter than you. 

You crossed your arms, pushing away your feelings to stand tall, eyes on Dutch as he stood opposite the campfire.

_Let's rewind here._

You weaved the stems of the magnolia flowers together, the design for a flower crown ingrained in your mind. You were sitting criss-cross applesauce on a large, wooden crate with little Jack next to you. He had a few smaller flowers in front of him, making a necklace for Abigail. 

After Patty agreeing, wholeheartedly, to meet you at the edge of Horseshoe Overlook, you and Tatiana both changed into something more day worthy. 

Though you would've been in pajamas all day. 

You switched your plaid pajama bottoms for a pair of high waisted, blue skinny jeans and you kept your tank top on, putting on a thin, black hoodie over it. You kept your sneakers on, putting on ankle socks since you didn't before. 

Tatiana put her braids into a French braid, rolling it up into a low bun. She threw on a 'Wakanda Forever' long sleeve shirt and white-washed shorts. Patty dialed you up once more when she said she was standing in front of a burly man with a dark beard and hair. 

"That's Bill," you quipped with a roll of your eyes. "You played the game yourself, Patricia." You waved Tatiana behind you, keeping your friend on the line as you walked to the entrance of camp. 

She sighed. "Okay. He's not very memorable."

You puckered your lips. "True, True."

Turning the corner, past the trees, you hung up your phone to see Patty standing in front of Bill with a white and yellow suitcase bouncing on her knees. Her caramel eyes snapped to you once you were view, waving her hand in the air excitedly. "[F/Name]! Ana!" 

Bill swiveled on his heel, rifle lowered to the ground. He eyed you both before turning his attention to Patty. "'Assuming she with you?" 

He looked back at you. "Don't remember Dutch ever mentioning another one." 

"We'll deal with it whenever he gets back," you asserted, folding your arms tight against your body. "I promise she's nothing dangerous. I mean, look at her." 

All three of you turned to the girl in question, her doe eyes growing even bigger. She had sun-kissed skin, freckles all across her nose and cheeks. Her hair was light blonde, reaching the top of her shoulders. Of course, she had them done in her usual style: Low pigtails, each held with a white ribbon tied in a bow, and Chinese cut bangs that curved around her cheeks on the sides. She was a few inches shorter than you in a short, flared flora dress, jean jacket, and ballet flats. 

Tatiana placed an elbow on your shoulder, humming. "She's literally a little kid in a grown woman's body." 

Patty pouted, tears making her eyes glossy. "I am not," she sniffled. You raised an eyebrow at her, noticing her quirking lips. She giggled not even a few seconds later, wiping the crocodile tears away. 

"Alright. I can be sometimes," she admitted. Patty walked over to you and Tatiana, hooking her arms through yours and Tatiana's, moving her suitcase to each hand accordingly. She smiled at Bill, the outlaw seeming to have a mental breakdown. 

He only shook his head, waving you all off lazily before turning back to watch the road. 

Now Patty stood in front of the table, spinning around as people milled about in the camp. Tatiana had found small rocks and pebbles, making small towers next to you and Jack. The three of you did come up with many ideas on how you could've came to the world of Red Dead, but all turned up to dead ends. 

Except for something about a silent storm. Dark heavy clouds, strong lightning strikes but no wind. No thunder. 

A phenomenon. 

You weaved another magnolia flower into the near finished crown, your eyes drifting back to your phone on your thigh. You assumed after Dutch left you with Karen, he, Arthur, and Lenny left soon after. 

It's been almost three hours since then. 

In those three hours, after introducing Patty to the ones in camp, Abigail asked if you three could watch Jack for a little bit. You picked up that Ray of sunshine and held him close. "Of fucking course," was your answer. 

Deciding to make jewelry out of flowers, you met Sadle Alder just at the bottom of the ridge. She was picking berries and she didn't look too happy about it. She pat Jack on the head as he ran forward, finding the magnolia trees easily. 

"Sadie." She shook each of your hands, holding the basket on her side. "I seen you two arrive earlier but Pearson had me running ragged."

Sadie sighed as Pearson called for her, saying she'll catch up once she's done with prepping food. 

"I'm bored," Patty whined. "And thinking about our situation is just giving me a headache." 

Tatiana pushed over her rock tower, clearing a small area for her to start again. "Well, we're not out of the woodworks yet. Dutch might've said to make sure we feel welcomed, but he never said we were allowed to stay here." She took one of the pebbles and tossed it in the air. "And he might just have our head since you're here."

You scoffed, eyeing Patty as she had a mini meltdown. "Look what you did." You said while turning to the African girl. She only stuck her tongue out at you, resuming her building. 

You resumed your weaving with a shrug, checking on Jack as you did so. Patty calmed after a minute, massaging her temples. 

"You know what? I'm going to channel my inner David-" 

Your eyes widened. "Oh God, no."

"-and sing the song of my people," she exclaimed. 

Tilting your head down, you could only block out as she began to sing the beginning of the Camp Camp theme song. 

You were doing good until she started bouncing around the table. Her third time around - shouting" And no it's not hyperbole! " as she did so - you noticed that Dutch, Arthur, and Lenny had come back, with Hosea and John just behind them. Abigail was on John's side immediately, her hands moving animatedly. 

"I'm done!" Jack exclaimed, making you turn your attention to him. He held up his creation to you, a large smile painted on his face. 

He really made you second quess not wanting to have kids. 

You ruffled his hair. "And I'm proud of you for making it. Now how about you go give it to your momma." You pointed to the still approaching group, Dutch waving off Lenny while he held onto a large cigar. Your eyes reverted to Jack just as Dutch looked towards you three. The small boy ran up to his mom, the woman taking the necklace from him. 

Patty skipped around once more, halfway through the speed part of the song when she spotted the now watching crowd. She was halfway up in a skip pose, only letting out a whimper. 

Before another staring off could ensue, Dutch gestured for you three to follow him. 

Picking up your flower crown, you placed it on Tatiana's head as you got up. You pushed Patty forward, the young woman seeming to be frozen in fear. "Let's go. And hopefully we don't piss them off in the process," you whispered to them. 

Tatiana nodded, grabbing Patty's elbow and taking her with her. Dutch had entered his tent, Molly greeting him before looking past him to you. With a nod of understanding, she picked up her fan and left for his privacy. 

Arthur and Hosea took opposite sides of the entrance, Hosea giving Tatiana and Patty small smiles as she passed.

You followed them, shoving your phone into your back pocket before lookin to your right. The heavy feeling of being stared at made you lock eyes with John Marston. If looks could fucking kill, you would already be six feet under.

Facing forward again, Arthur gestured for you to enter the tent. As you passed him, the sound of curtains closing made the tent darker. 

"Go on." Dutch took a seat across from the bed, waving his cigar at it. "Take a seat, ladies. Make yourself comfortable." 

You glanced at Hosea and Arthur, the men standing on either side of Dutch, sitting down on Patty's right. 

Dutch put out his cigar, placing it on the barrel next to him. He turned to Hosea, whispering back and forth for a bit. This gave you time to check them out. 

Of course Dutch was dressed like he owned land for miles on end. A red pinstriped vest on top of a black dress shirt. His pants were equally as black, his holster resting on his waist. Black dress shoes were crossed in front of him. His hat was tilted, covering part of his face as he chatted with Hosea. 

Tatiana reached over and gripped your knee. "Is it bad I want to actually ride this man til neither of us can't walk no more?" She whispered to you and Patty, earning a playful scowl and blushed face in return. Tatiana grinned, her eyes wandering around the tent. 

Your eyes wandered to Arthur. He had his head back(showing off that clean shaven face), staring up at the ceiling, ignoring most of everything going on. This man was the definition of aloofness. He wore his typical hat, long wisps of dirty blonde hair poking under. He had his thin, black scarf wrapped around his neck. Underneath a black vest was a dark blue shirt, the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. You could see suspenders just underneath his vest, holding up dark washed jeans. And would you look at that-

"Alright, girls." Hosea's voice brought you out from your analysis. Blinking, you instinctively looked up at Arthur, your neck burning. His eyes stared down at you. 

Oof. He caught you checking him out. 

Turning your head to Hosea, you were determined to act like that never happened. He fixed his tie, smoothed down his light blue vest, and locked eyes with each of you. "First off, it's a pleasure to me you. I'm Hosea Matthews. Dear friends with this one right here." He clasped Dutch on the shoulder, the gang leader placing his hand over his. "And to this tall, intimidating man named Arthur." 

Arthur could only shake his head, pulling his hat over his face. "Only when I need to be, old man."

"What we really want to know is, ladies." Dutch repositioned himself in his chair,resting his cheek on his fist. "Is what will you all do? If you decide to stay here, with us, you will have to put in some work. But you will be safe."

He emphasized the word safe, leaning forward as he did so. 

"Or. We can let you be on your way. Because, clearly, not everyone is comfortable with outlaws." 

Glancing at Patty and Tatiana, you turned back to Dutch with your answer. 

"Really, we want to take those chances. We don't have a clue where we're at, anyway."

Which leads back to where you're at now. Dodging looking at John and focusing on Dutch as he spoke to the group. The circle held all the members you met today, minus Micah, which you were glad for. 

You could only smirk as Dutch rallied the group on the new additions to the gang. Javier, once again, gave you a warm welcome, kissing Patty's hand as he did so. Poor girl's face became as red as a tomato, and she sent glares your way when you tried to cover your snickers. 

"Now these three fine, young women are now members of our family. Treat them like so," Dutch said over the laughter, ending the meeting with a wave of his beer bottle. "Now go. Mingle!" 

If you could talk about akward. On cue, Karen, Tilly, and Mary-Beth each grabbed a hold of you and your friends. They pulled you to the shared tent they helped set up after your meeting with Dutch. It sat just close to the forest edge, open tent like most of the others. The flaps were tied to the sides by some of Patty's extra ribbon. Inside, the ground was layered with a large bear rug Charles didn't need anymore. He had a bison pelt on the floor of his tent. Three wooden bedframes held sleeping bags that the camp had as extra. 

You didn't know how Patty could hold that many blankets in that suitcase, but you weren't going to question it further. After laying your beds with them - and throw pillows she also had - you deemed the tent temporary home worthy. Tatiana placed her Ipad up on a barrel in the back of the tent, the flashlight feature on as darkness fell over the camp. 

You and Tilly sat on your bed, Karen and Tatiana on the bed across from you, and Patty with Mary-Beth closer to the back. Tilly waved over Sadie, who was chatting with Molly by Dutch's tent. 

"You look mighty pleased to be away from Miss Molly O' Shea," she said when Sadie got closer. 

Snickers couldnt be stopped as her facial expression said it all: Couldn't wait to get the hell away from her. 

Sadie made herself comfortable on the rug, fixing her skirt. " All I can say is, only Dutch could love someone that posh," she scoffed. "Well, for now."

She turned to look at your clothing - the three of you having cleaned up in a nearby lake and changed into your pajamas - with a careful eye. "Tell me, ladies. Where do you come from?"

"The clothes you wear are something mighty fine," Mary-Beth added, leaning forward on her knees. "It's like a fashion forward movement for us women."

You glanced down at your pj's. "Guess you can it is."

Tatiana twirled one of her braids around her finger. "We come from the age where women are holding the cards just as much as the men are. And then some."

"Though the men don't like that very much," Patty added with a giggle. "Not like we aren't giving them hell for it."

Tilly pointed to the IPad. "And a place where technology has greatly advanced." 

Pulling your phone from your pants pocket, you held it out to her. "Wanna fiddle with it? Promise you won't fuck it up anymore than I already have." The curious woman took the phone with gentle hands, eyes wide as the screen lit up. 

Karen picked up the makeup case that Tatiana had out. "I never heard of these makeup brands before."

"They cost probably 80 dollars each," Tatiana mumbled, grabbing a headscarf from her duffel. Karen turning around, with a small container of liquid foundation, with a look of the shocked Pikachu meme on her face filled the tent with laughter. 

"Not for this little ole thing?" 

When you, Patty, and Tatiana collectively nodded, her facial expression only gotten better. 

An hour or so passed, Mary Beth deep into reading one of your favorite books you found deep in the duffel. Tilly had her fun with your phone, finding the joy of the otome games that you had downloaded before settling for knitting. Karen and Tatiana discussed how makeup had evolved - without too much on how you were from the future- and you and Patty sat just outside the tent with Sadie, the older woman showing you both on how to whittle. 

The camp had dialed down by then, drunk members tumbling into their tents or giggling the night away. 

Sadie cracked her neck, putting down the wooden bird she carved. "It was nice talking to your girls, but, I got early morning cutting." She stood up, followed by the two of you. She sheated the pocket knife, turning to you. 

"Do you guys know what y'all be doing? Since you'll be staying with us and all?"

Patty grabbed onto your arm, nodding. "I've agreed to help with creating medicine. I know flowers and herbs like no other." 

Sadie slapped her side. "Have fun with Miss Grimshaw. She's a real treat." 

"I prefer animals more than people," you said, Sadie mumbling "An amen to that". "And I have years of horse experience. I don't mind being a groom. And I do love to cook, so I'll help out with you and Pearson whenever needed."

You pointed behind you to Tatiana, who was now using a powder on Karen. "She doesn't mind as long as she's working. Overall, we'll help with anything."

Sadie slapped your and Patty's shoulder. "Good to see some more able women. Anyways. Good night y'all. And welcome to Dutch's family." 

Waving her off, you turned back to the tent. "Alright girls. I think it's time we all head to bed." 

Tilly stuck her needles inside the yarn she was working on. "That actually sounds like a good idea. It's late anyway." Karen and Mary-Beth followed, a bit reluctantly, the latter giving you back your book. They bid the three of you good night, promises to show you chores in the morning. 

You pulled the ribbons away, letting the curtains fall into place. Turning, you saw Patty joining Tatiana on her bed, her long night gown touching the floor. 

"What's the plan, boss?" She asked with a smile. 

You pointed up to yourself, glancing back and forth between the two. "Why am I the boss?" 

"I'm more a free spirit, " Tatiana gestured to herself. "And Patty here is a sugar coated, double frosted, dipped in Caramel goody two shoes." 

Patty raised her hand. "I take great offense to this."

Tatiana rolled her eyes, throwing her hand over Patty's shoulder. "My bad. Triple frosted."

You facepalmed as Patty gave a hearty "Thank you."

"So what you're saying is, I'm the more level headed?" You asked after running your hand over your face. Their nods were their answers. With a huff, you sat on Tatiana's right, eyes trained on the bear rug. 

"Well, the only thing we can do is wait. We might be the only ones that made it here. For now, we be on our best behavior. And not mess with the timeline," you concluded, turning to look at them. 

"But also keep John away from me. He stares at me like he wants to slice and dice my neck open."


	4. Restart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> My dumb ass forgot Kieran was with the gang since the Colter chapter. So...lets just act like he was found the way I wrote him, alright? Alright.
> 
> Of course, check out my official Tumblr blog: [IceStrawberryFreeze](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/officialicestrawberryfreeze).
> 
> Mainly reblogs for now, but hey. Sneak peaks on chapters/characters/plotline will be posted on it.

It's been a few days since you've stayed with the Van Der Linde gang. Instead of feeling like an outcast to the world of the wild west, you and your friends have been adjusting quite well to it. It literally felt like you were just a missing puzzle piece that finally clicked into place. Ah.

But that's just speculation on your part. Truthfully, the members of the gang have treated you like one of them. Which you were now. Javier and Charles made sure to drill that into your head whenever you tried to skip out on a sit around the campfire.

Your relationship with Javier has greatly improved over the past three days. The man knew your unease of him. He spent his free time to know you better personally. Just basic things: favorite color, favorite food, and the whole first date akward questions. You can't say that you would put your whole faith in this man - the first game constantly rearing its head on his actions - but at least he could finally have some sort of chat with you. 

You had an immediate connection with Charles. He helped tend to the horses with you. In a comfortable silence, no less. That's maybe why you got along so well. Tatiana and Patty are your closest friends, calling each other sisters on the regular, but they were more than you could handle. You were a quiet woman of twenty-two. There was no doubt you could reach their level of bounciness when you wanted, but taking time to yourself to relax was your favorite past time. And Charles reveled in it. The night before, sitting near the cliff edge behind Dutch's tent, Charles came back from guard duty and sat next to you.

"Do you mind if I call you Big Chief?" You asked after a few minutes of silence. He turned to you, his face asking the question. 

"I've had some horrible experience with a man named Charles*, and I don't want that experience to bleed into our, um, association," you explained, rubbing your forearm. Looking back to him, tension rolled off your shoulders at his smile. 

You laughed, happy to see that he doesn't mind it." Just don't let the others hear you call me that," he whispered." They'll never let me live it down."

Tatiana and Patty giggled, watching as you hid behind the barrels in your tent. Clanging of spurs announced John's arrival. 

Trying to be on neutral grounds with everyone in camp - those who were in the camp at the time - was something you all agreed on. John was someone you have yet to get on neutral grounds. 

Maybe it was because he stared at you like you were trespassing on his own personal land. And if you didn't get off it in the next five seconds, he would blow your brains out. 

Oh, but Tatiana and Patricia he was okay with. 

You covered your mouth as he got closer, squeezing your eyes shut. 

"Where's [F/Name]?" he asked. You could see his shadow on the ground getting closer. 

Patty's dress entered your vision, shading you from view. "I think she went to get some more magnolias to make flower crowns," she lied smoothly. 

You have been making a slew of flower crowns, Tatiana wearing hers around during idle periods. A few members of the gang wanted some, Tilly and Mary-Beth being at the front of the queue. So it wasn't sort of a lie. 

You could hear John huff. "Well, when she comes back, tell her we need to talk."

"Alright," Tatiana said with a giggle. "We'll let her know."

You only peeked over the barrels once you heard his spurs move far away. Patty and Tatiana both erupted in laughter, falling into each other with tears threatening to fall. 

"Shut the hell up, you two." Growling at them only caused them to laugh even harder. Sighing in defeat, you got up from your hiding place and moved over to your bed. "What does he need from me?" 

Tatiana plopped down to sit on your left. "Maybe he wants to knock you out, hogtie you, then drop you in an alligator swamp." 

"Or he'll drag you from the back of his horse like a rag doll," Patty added, sitting to your right. 

You threw your head back, groaning. "You two are the best of friends," you said sarcastically. 

Patty leaned her head on your shoulder while Tatiana throwing her arm around your waist. "Only the best," they chorused. 

°°°°°  
And to think you would have a nice, normal day. 

Back against a tree, you were met, unfortunately, by the one man you didn't want to meet. 

Micah Bell. 

A few minutes prior to the man standing in front of you, he, Arthur, and Charles rode back into camp with a familiar nervous man on Arthur's stallion. 

Kieran was mummuring under his breath, his legs bouncing on the side of the brown paint. You made your way to get closer to them, only to see John come out of nowhere and you being in your current position. 

From your position, you heard stray words of "O'Driscolls", "mountains", and "scum". Turning your back against the tree once more, you sighed. At least things were going like they were suppose to. Thinking over your situation again, you thought it would be best not to get attached to the characters. Lest you try to rewrite how things went down in the game. Doing so could make things hard if you ever got attached like you did during your playthrough. Which would be even worse ten times fold as you can actually reach out and touch them. You are actually spending almost every second of a day with this group. 

A hand slamming against the trunk of the tree made you jump. Whipping your head to your left, you were met with the uncomfortably close face of Micah Bell. 

"Now what do we have here?" His attempt at a sultry, smooth voice didn't hide the fact that he was still a snake. 

You performed the biggest eye roll you had ever done, lips curling up at the older male. "Look what the snake brought in," you snarled. 

That didn't deter him any bit, resulting in him leaning closer to you." Now don't be like that. Boss Man was just telling us about some new meat in the gang."

Ready to rip him a new one, you pointed a finger into his chest but stopped midway, catching sight of John trodding over to you. 

"You know what Micah?" You patted his coat, giving him your best smile. "This conversation will just have to happen later. Bye!" 

You swerved to the other side of the tree, your sneakers kicking up dirt as you hightailed it out of there. Will you ever stop running away from John Marston? 

°°°°°  
Well, didn't you just find yourself between a rock and a John Marston. It just hit late afternoon and, after a day of helping Pearson with some vegetable chopping, you were planning on going a bit down the trail. Maybe head on down to where you and the girls were found. Look around some more for any details. 

You were worrying. Really bad. Unlike your two friends who were enjoying themselves. 

Not even halfway through the camp were you jumped on - more like grabbed by the elbow and pulled you towards the tree line - by good old Scar Face.

"I've been needing to talk to you," he stated, his dark eyes holding yours. Straining a smile, you just nodded, backing up into the bark of the tree. Doing that didn't help any as John matched your footfalls exactly. 

He raised a finger up to your face, making you shrink back." This. This right here. This is what I'm talking about. Why?" 

With a shaky hand, you placed it over the taller man's finger and lowered it. 

"Has it ever occurred to you that maybe you have a very...intimidating presence?" _And glare,"_ you thought. 

His eyes gave did a good once over of your body. "So do the other members of camp."

You hummed, your body beginning to relax as you saw that he wasn't an immediate threat to your wellbeing. 

Yet. 

Your eyes traveled to where Pearson was; he was walking towards Kieran with a cup. "Well, Pearson is the less threatening out of all of you men. Karen, Mary-Beth, and Tilly have been absolute dolls. Hell, even Charles and Javier have been nothing but nice men. The only person I have a problem with, at the moment," you met his eyes. "Is you."

John rubbed at his freshly stitched scars, eyes lowered to the ground. "Huh. Guess maybe we should change that." You could have also hear him say 'Otherwise Arthur and Dutch will kill me' under his breath right after. Or something like that or other. 

He stepped back, sticking his hand out to you. You looked from his hand to him, then back again. When you repeated the process for a good minute, John sighed. 

"I'm John Marston," his voice low. "I'm...more than happy to show you around our way of life if need be."

You could only sigh. At least he wanted to fix the one sided relationship (all on your part). You placed your hand and his, a small - real- smile on your lips. 

"[F/Name] [L/Name]." 

John nodded, looping his thumbs in his holster." Let's stay on leveled grounds from now on."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *This is true. My no good, weak minded, piece of shit "father" has this name and I regularly steer clear of anyone with that name because of the past events I went through. Something I'm trying to overcome. But I really grown to love Charles and the nickname came to me while writing this, so it works out perfectly. 
> 
> So here was my thought process for this story: A very heavily crack fic with Reader-Chan and friends [as I like to call them the Timeline Gang] annoying the shit out of the gang. No plotline whatsoever. 
> 
> ° Begins writing out the beginning of the first chapter.
> 
> ° "Hm, why not have bucks surround the Tatiana and Reader-Chan?" cause no plotline, right? 
> 
> ° Meet the three men, of course of course.
> 
> ° Writing aimlessly turns into thinking and "Why not have Javier and Reader-Chan have some sort of tension?", "I have a slight fear of John, let's put that in!", and "What if the Strange Man from the first game has an apprentice? And this apprentice has a ulterior motive?! "
> 
> ° Let's not forget: "What if the modern characters have special abilities that help them in the wild west, revolving around their unique traits?"
> 
> Now I have a story with more plot then I wanted. A whole list of minor and major characters that rivals Beyond Reality and a whole lot of plotting for future romances.
> 
> I have no regrets about it.


	5. Into Valentine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The journey begins as you and the girls head into the town of Valentine.

"Fuck you, John. Don't touch me!" you yelled, scurrying over to where Tatiana and Patty sat around the camp fire. They didn't even bother to hold in their laughter as you did a pirouette into a sit between them. Javier, Uncle, and Karen were also around the fire, Javier strumming his guitar softly as the other two sipped on their whisky. 

Folding your arms across your chest, you turned your head away from the incoming outlaw and stared into the growing fire. John was even laughing at you, making your lips pout out even further. 

It was currently a Tuesday night, almost a week after John and you have decided to get on more familiar terms. Though it doesn't help that he still will randomly stare at you like he wants to snap your neck. But you just dubbed it his resting bitch face. 

Doesn't mean he shouldn't turn it to someone else. 

Like Micah. 

You still had a slight fear of the outlaw and he used it to his damn advantage. Like with what he just did. 

Tatiana nudged you with her elbow. "Oh, come on. It's pretty funny."

"It's pretty funny," you mocked, glaring at the older woman. It didn't last long as you chuckled yourself. You met John's eyes across the fire, the man leaning forward on his knee. The hand he was leaning on barely covered his smirk."Just don't make it a habit," you directed at him. 

Patty threw herself over your lap. "How else are we going to get your stubborn butt to do something?" She asked, pressing a freshly painted nail on your nose. 

You slapped it away with a scoff. "Mention food and it'll most likely get me moving."

Patty's mouth hung open, gold eyes wide. "You're right!" 

Rolling your eyes, you pushed the younger woman off of you. She face planted in the dirt. 

"Why is this my life?" She mumbled into the ground, erupting laughter from the small group around the fire. To even add insult to injury, you propped your feet on the back of her yellow sweater. Patty grunted, her body rag dolling as she let it happen. 

Tatiana laid one of her legs across Patty's back - the poor woman - as she leaned back on the crate behind her. "So, you got anything yet?" She whispered. "As much as I love helping cleaning the blood out of clothing, I miss the modern washing machine."

You sighed, reaching into your sweatpants and unlocked your phone. Pulling the device out with the other members took some time. Weird looks, mummering, and wanting to touch it occurred periodically. When you showed them your other modern items, holy shit. You thought you would be hanged. 

Luckily, this was a progressive bunch of people. 

"I haven't had word from the others. It might just be us here," you whispered to her, scrolling through your text messages. "I haven't had the chance to get back to the place we were found at. And...wait."

You moved your legs off of Patty, the woman seeming to have fallen asleep - face turned so her cheek rested on the ground and eyes closed. With a slight nudge, Patty opened her eyes. 

"Where the hell did you wake up?" You questioned. Patty grabbed Tatiana's calf and placed it in front of her before sitting up. 

"Not too far from here actually." She pointed off to the west, the general direction of Valentine. "A little bit closer to Valentine, but not too far of a walk here." 

She scratched her chin. "Weird thing was, when I woke up, there were some bucks surrounding me."

You and Tatiana shared a look. "Same with us. Well, we definitely felt them close to us. One of their antlers rubbed against me a few times."

"They were in a half crescent formation, about four of them," Patty continued. "There was one big one. He turned towards me once I woke up and they, one by one, dispersed." 

You wrapped your arms tight against your body. A sudden chill ran over your body as Patty spoke. 

"I don't know about you two, but it was like we were brought here for something." The young woman shivered herself, moving back so she sat on your right. Patty leaned her head on your shoulder. "But that's all speculation."

°°°°°  
You stretched your arms over your head. It was the next morning and, after a quick wash in the river, you had just finished getting dressed in the tent. Black leggings, long purple sweater, and your dressage boots was your outfit for the day, hair in a low bun. 

Taking a look around the camp, you could see that Patty was already with Tilly. They were working on knitting a blanket together. Tatiana was spinning Jack around, giving Abigail some time to get ready for the day it seemed. 

"You look ready for a day full of adventure," Charles commented as he came to stand next to you outside the shared tent. You sighed through your nose, letting a groan escape right after. 

"A day of hearing Pearson and Sadie bicker is the best adventure." You looked up to see Charles raise an eyebrow. "That was sarcasm, my dear Big Chief."

Charles' lip twitched. "I was hoping it was. How's tending to the horses?" 

You placed a hand over your heart, mock surprise on your face. "It's the best damn job I ever had. Since someone is so kind to help me with grooming," you nudged him with your elbow, earning a smile from the usually stotic male. 

"I'm only doing what needs to be done as you have become a part of this...somewhat dysfunctional family," he countered, gesturing to the camp site. From across the way, you could see Arthur kicking Uncle who was leaning on a stagecoach. 

Placing your hands on your hips, you faced Charles."I'll believe that when I see you help out Tatiana and Patricia."

"I do." God, he sounded like a kid when he said it. With a smirk, you mumbled a "Sure you do." before a running Karen entered your peripheral. 

She grabbed onto your wrists with a large smile. "Come on, darling. You're coming with us to Valentine!"

Charles took the chance to slip away, nodding to Karen as he did so. 

Karen moved her hands up to hold onto your forearm. "We managed to get Arthur to agree to letting us go with him and Uncle." She pulled you along. Tilly and Mary-Beth had Tatiana and Patty respectively, the four of them standing next to Arthur, the latter smoking a cigarette. 

Just as you and Karen approached them, Uncle popped up from behind the attached horses. He waved at you." Hey! Didn't think you would come."

"Not like I would be opposed to it," you replied with a wave. "I can only stand the sight of the camp for so long." 

Uncle laughed, jumping over the seats to get to the back of the coach. "Don't we all. Help me with this Arthur?" 

You were soon on the back of the wagon in between Mary-Beth and Patty. Tatiana, Tilly and Karen sat across from you. You threw your arms behind you, leaning on the board. 

Arthur turned back to you, reins in hand." Y'all girls ready?"

A collective chorus of yeahs got the wagon moving forward. You closed your eyes, drowning out the excited chatter of the women and hooves beating against the ground. The second you left the camp, you could feel your worries dissolve. 

Maybe because you could actually see the world and try to make sense of your situation. You hummed, letting your chin fall to your chest as the warmish air breezed over you. 

_"Do you see that dude standing outside?"_

_"No?"_

_"Look. By the tree!_

Your eyes flashed open at the sudden memory. You looked at the girls in turn, singing. Ah. Uncle must've asked for them to. Patty and Tatiana joined in with them, making you smile some. As your thoughts went back to the memory, you could see a carriage speed past as Arthur turned the wagon left onto the coming path. 

"He's going mighty fast," Tilly commented, leaning to get a better look at the carriage. Just as she said that, the man yelled as his carriage jerked back and forth before the horses unhitched themselves and went into separate directions. 

You felt the wagon slow down, thoughts traveling to what this Arthur will do. He could ignore the man and keep going like Lance did during his playthrough stating "Fuck those horses and fuck that man." But you were proven wrong as he pulled up beside the horse less carriage. 

Patty turned around in her seat, watching Arthur as he jumped off and moved towards the older man. "Those hips do not lie."

"Shut the fuck, Patricia, " You groaned while the others laughed. Mary-Beth took her fan out, giving you a small smile as she fanned herself. 

"You guys have the funniest friendship," she commented, eyes moving between the three of you. 

Tatiana slipped in between you and Patty, pulling the both of you to her sides. She tried to nuzzle her cheeks against yours but you placed a hand in between your face and hers. She scoffed. "Patty brings the sunshine, flowers, kittens and rainbows to the party. I tend to bring out the crazy in people. Dancing on tabletops and downing drinks faster than the men. And this sour sport-" 

"Suck my ass," you slipped in. 

"-is our middle ground. Not too crazy, her sweetness doesn't come out unless she really cares about you, and she houses a mean right hook. Mama Bear, as we like to call her," Tatiana finished, squeezing you and Patty closer with a large smile on her lips. "We make the perfect trio."

The other three women cooed with even Uncle joining in. "That's incredibly sweet," he said with a hand over his heart. 

You opened your mouth, sticking a finger inside as you gagged. Tatiana slapped the back of your head, moving back into her spot before you could swing at her. 

It wasn't long before Arthur brought back the white shire to the man and you were on your way into the town of Valentine. 

"Finally, some civilization," Tilly squealed, looking like a kid in a candy shop. Speaking of candy, you made note of the shop close to the stable. Some hard candy would be nice right now. 

Arthur pulled up right next to the general store, stating that they have made it. Already Tilly and Karen joined hands and helped each other off the coach. Not even a second thought went through yours or Patty's head as you both jumped out the side of the wagon, landing just when Arthur and Uncle came around the side. 

You straightened yourself up while maintaining eye contact. "What?" 

"You legs don't hurt none?" Uncle asked, scratching his chin. Patty scurried over to where Mary-Beth was heading as Tatiana came to your side. 

"Nope," you answered, popping the 'p'. You turned around, slouching as you moved forward. "I'm gonna take a nap since we're gonna be here a while."

You could hear the three of them following right behind. "Didn't you just wake up?" Tatiana questioned, earning a scowl from you. 

"Your point?" You shot back. Parking yourself on the bench just outside the general store, you pulled your legs up to your chest and placed your forehead on your knees. You could feel Tatiana tap her gunfers in your head as she passed by, Uncle and Arthur discussing how much the latter actually likes the former. Their voices grew muffled as sleep came quickly. 

°°°°°  
 _He's been out there for a while._

_No matter where you went, his head would follow you as you looked out from various windows. Lance, getting annoyed at your suspicious behavior, pulled you down into his lap while he was in the middle of a shoot out in Red Dead Online._

_Light hazel eyes scanned your face, his chin tilting downwards to get better eye contact with you. "What's your problem?"_

_With a shake of your head, you tried to get off his lap only for him to wrap his arm around you as he kept spamming a series of buttons on his controller._

_"Do you really think I would let you off that easily?" He asked with a smile, eyes returning back to the screen. Did he just-_

_You huffed. "Sometimes it would be better if you did." You glanced towards the living room window. "But to tell you the truth. Me and Tatiana saw someone outside. And I'm pretty sure they're still out there."_

Your eyes parted open after feeling something warm fan over your face. Blinking the sleep from your eyes, you took your time to look at your surroundings. Right. You headed into Valentine with Arthur and crew. 

Another fanning of warm air brought your attention to your current body position. Your head was leaning against someone's shoulder. A broad shoulder. Letting your eyes wander to your left, you noticed a familiar pair of boots. It was then that you also noticed a weight on your head. 

Moving your head upward, you noticed Arthur had his cheek on top of your head. 

You blinked in succession. Now how did you get in this position? He surely would've moved you back and away from from him. 

Either way, you maneuvered your way from under him just in time as Mary-Beth and Patty trotted up the stair to where you sat. Arthur jolted awake - head whipping around-while Uncle greeted them. 

"Where's Tatiana?" Patty asked, sitting on the bench armrest next to you. A quick look around, and you couldn't see your energetic friend. 

Uncle perked up, looking at the both of you. "Oh. I seen her head over to the saloon just down the road," he said, pointing down to a large red building. "Probably to find Karen and Tilly."

"Cool." You got up from your spot, stretching your arms above your head. "I'll go find her." 

Mary-Beth waved her fingers at you. "Good luck. Also, me and Patty found some a lead," you heard her say as you trotted off. Not even halfway, you heard a psst coming from behind the gun store. Slowing down, you took a quick peek down the alleyway to see Tatiana leaning from behind the building. 

"The hell are you doing?" You whispered, walking up to her. She angrily placed a finger over her mouth, shushing you in the process. You began to speak again only for her to shush you again. 

You pointed a finger at her. "Shush me again you piece of-" 

Tatiana grabbed your wrist, pulling you back behind the general store, stopping you from threatening her. "I just saw that creep Anthony Foreman stalking Tilly."

"Aren't you a creep for stalking Tilly?" You quipped. 

"I was making _observations_ ," she stressed. "We see Karen going off to the Inn but Tilly ain't in sight til Mary-Beth spots her." She released her grip on you, placing her hands on her hips as she walked in front of you. "And just as I found her, I see him."

Just as you were exiting from in between the general store and the gun shop, you spotted Anthony Foreman stalk his way up to an unsuspecting Tilly. Tatiana rolled up the sleeves of her varsity jacket before turning to you. "Also, you and Arthur taking a nap together was cute. I took tons of pictures."

You threw your hands up in the air. "How was I suppose to control that?!" you yelled after her, your question lost to her as she screamed "Yeet, Yeet motherfucker!" running to where Tilly was being dragged off too and, literally, performed a flying kick straight into Anthony's head. 

With a roll of your eyes, you trudged your way past the shocked faces of Uncle and them to the inn. It seemed like you were to make sure Karen was alright.


End file.
